"Stay off Your Feet"

The whole "stay off your feet as much as possible" plan is really putting a damper on my training. The arch supports and ankle wrap seem to be helping, but I'm not going to put my ankle/foot to the test until mid-late next week. I don't want to push it. It's hard for me to be motivated to swim though because I'm not that great at it. I swam "competitively" when I was in middle school, but truth be told I was never that good. I know, practice...it's just hard to stay motivated when swimming is really my only option these days. Well, that's my short update on what's been going on...sorry I feel off the face of the earth there!

Off to the ice bucket of doom!

Ankle and Asthma

Today was the day! I got to run again!! Yayyy! I hadn't run since last Monday (2/8/10), so today was very exciting for me! Over the last 12 days I've really noticed a difference in my ankle. It was never swollen, but it always hurt at the weirdest times and was just annoying. It hurt less, I needed my ankle brace less often and I could get through work without needing extra Tylonol (bonus).
I started working on the Bosu ball last week to strengthen my ankle, and I love it. The first time i was wabbling all over the place, and had to have the wall as support pretty much the whole time I was "balancing." Today, all I had to do was use the wall to get up on the ball then I balanced on my own for at least a minute on each foot. I could feel the tendons activating, so I know that my ankles are getting stronger. And, finally, today was my first run in for-ev-er. I made sure I was warmed up and stretched out before I headed up to the treadmills. I got settled in and set up a "5K loop." I told myself I wasn't going to go all out today...that was a lie. I started out at 5.5 and was up at 6.0 after a quarter mile. Then at the half mile I started upping the pace .1 every half mile. At 2.5 miles I picked it up .1 after another quarter and then another .4 or .5 through the end of the workout. My ankle felt amazing (and still does) and my IT bands didn't hate me either. I can't wait to see how tomorrow goes. I hope a little sleep doesn't aggravate my ankle again!

So, what I did notice while I was running...is my lungs were super tight. After not running my lung strength was pretty much gone. Yes, I have to strengthen my lungs...they are very tiny. And...I'm exercise asthma prone too. Fun times, right? I've got my work cut out for me, that's for sure. I'm going to have to sing more while I run (not kidding) and hit the pool for laps. Can't wait to get back into running though! =)

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Well, as you all know...my left ankle hates me. The picture is my ankle wrapped in my awesome flexible ankle brace. It's like a glorified ace bandage with Velcro honestly. It's made life much better at work, at yoga, and around the house. To be honest, I don't know what I did to hurt it besides walk around for 8 hours a day for my sales job last year, and stand around for 8 hours a day for my deli job now. I also ran in old shoes when I lived in AZ, so maybe that was part of it. I did take 4 months off from running, and 3 of those months I wasn't working either...so I'm at a loss.

The weirdest thing is, it doesn't hurt when I run. It hurts like crazy when I walk around after a run, but not during...I do believe my new shoes are part of the reason. Running in my old shoes doesn't leave me in as much pain later. Here's why I'm blaming my new shoes. For the first time since 2003 I branched out and got a different shoe to run in. I got not only a different style, but a different company. I went with Mizunos. I've worn them before for other things, and really liked them. But, as the lady at the Running Company said..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I should've stayed with my one and only love in running shoes, Asics Kayanos. I will be getting some in a few weeks, because for my feet, there is nothing better.

A Snag in the Plan

Well, this last week hasn't been everything I thought it would be.

Sunday I rocked out on the erg. I hadn't done any serious rowing in a while, so I thought it was time. I rowed a 5k, and threw in power 10s and power 5s to spice things up and revitalize the stroke. It felt really good. I was a little congested, but my legs/back/arms/shoulders handled the workout beautifully.

Then there was Monday. Long run Monday...I had my head in the game and was ready for my two hour run. The roads were still kind of snowy and I'm not a fan of pushing my ankle, soooooo I set up the treadmill for 90 minutes (99 is the max and that's just weird). I started working out the kinks and soreness from the Sunday workout, but after two miles my right IT band was already starting to twinge. It's been taking 6+ miles to get there lately, so I wasn't happy when that happened. I pushed the pace back a little bit, lengthened my stride and picked up my feet more. Did it help? Not really...the minutes ticked my so slowly. I picked up the pace again just hoping it would work itself out. Nope, didn't happen. I didn't want to push myself, so I made myself stop after an hour. I got in 6 miles, and wasn't completely happy about it. Stretching and hydrating just weren't as satisfying since I didn't reach my goal.

Tuesday was yoga with Ashley! I always love yoga class on Tuesdays. There was an anonymous request for an ab workout, and I wasn't complaining. We did some amazing Sun Salutes to get warmed up, and then some twists that my back loved. The abs were definitely different. We did variations I'd never done before and two of them I will be using in the future for sure! After our ab workout we did more twists for our backs, and then an amazing 10 minute relaxation. I felt like a new woman after that class.

My Wednesday workout was shoveling the driveway. My best friend, Caryn, told me that shoveling for 20 minutes is the equivalent of running a mile on the treadmill. So, I guess I did 2 miles! Woot! My ankle has been very angry since Tuesday. The tendon on the inside of my right ankle twinges and bothers me too much. I've been icing, but that hasn't helped much. I rocked the IcyHot and then a heating pad just to spice things up.

Today after an extra "awesome" shift at work my ankle really hated me. I wasn't going to pass up a free afternoon, so I headed to the gym anyway. I did a core workout then hopped into the pool. I grabbed a noodle and did a few laps of kicking just to get used to being in the water again and for my legs to loosen up. My lane buddy and I were both slowish swimmers, so that worked out well. After 800m or swimming I called it a day. I walked a lap to see if my ankle hurt in water, and it didn't! =)
Side Note: my lane buddy is running the Flying Pig Half, so it was fun talking about training with someone that will be running the same race (sort of) as me.

Well, it's time to get some rest before another long day of work tomorrow! Good night!

Dear Body

Dear Body,

I'm really sorry about this week. Work sucked...a lot. Especially yesterday and today. I'm EXTREMELY sorry you went 24 hours without a meal. That was terrible. I'm also VERY sorry that you didn't get to workout as much as you wanted or needed. I will make it up to you, I promise. Lisa apologizes for destroying your right Achilles tendon with the cart last night too. Neosporin will help heal that right up. Enjoy the ice bucket, Powerade, and relaxing tonight. I promise you a great yoga and core workout tomorrow, and probably some shoveling to build up your arms. I love you, and will make you strong!

Love,
Sarah

5K "test"?

Well, after a long day at work I knew it was time for a good run. It's time to start working on speed now that I know I can put the time/miles in. The treadmills at LA Fitness have a 5k "loop," so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I was good and stretched out my legs (still sore from Monday's long run), and did a warm up. I am really bad about doing warm ups, so I think I should get bonus points for that. I took my last gulp of water and had my iPod set to a good song to set the pace. I pushed the "5k Loop" button, entered my weight and set it to start at 6.0. Excellent. After 30 seconds of getting used to the beast I pushed up to 6.3 just to get a stride down and felt great. After a half mile...my shoe was untied. How my double knot came undone, I have no idea. So, I pressed the "pause" button...which ends up being a prolonged stop button because there is no way to get started again. So, I had to start again after retying my shoe and checking the other. *sighs* I was less excited and pumped up this time. But I started it over, this time at 6.3. I was up to 6.5 by 2 minutes in. I felt really good running. Still a little tight from Monday, but that was expected. I did find out that time passes slower on a treadmill than on the roads...By the end of the 5k I was rocking an 8.0 (for the last .2 miles). I felt awesome. My breathing was still fairly relaxed, my heart wasn't exploding out of my chest and my legs didn't totally hate me.

Overall I wish my split had been faster, but I'll get it down for next time for sure! I've iced my feet/ankles and now I'm onto the mission of hydrating. Good night!

PS- Thank you for all the support of my friends reading this blog and commenting on my Daily Mile workouts. I really appreciate it!

"CareFree" Long Run of Bliss

Today I was my long run of the week. My head was totally in the game, and the weather was perfect. It was 32, 5 mph winds, and sunny. What more could you want?!

I rocked shorts, a long sleeve and a T-shirt. Call me crazy, but that's just how I roll. I set off on my 100 minutes of amazing-ness and started visualizing the end of my marathon right from the start. After I saw that I was running a sub-10:00 split after two miles I started to visualize the end of my run. I got to where I guessed my halfway mark would be in...30 minutes. So, I decided to veer off of the roads I know into the ones I don't know. The names made me happy. The neighborhoods are "Carefree North/South" and a few of my favorite street names are: Sunshine Way, Leisure Ln, Restin Lane, and of course, Easy St. After the 8ish mile mark the IT bands started to get tight, so I had to slow my pace down a little bit. I finished the last mile and a half hard, and felt amazing. I probably should've done a longer cool down, but chocolate milk and a chewy bar were calling my name. Today I realized I need to start setting up hydrating stations and running with GU or the snazzy energy jelly beans. I was hurting for energy towards the end, and I think an energy boost and some water would've done wonders for my over all pace. I guess we'll see on my next long run!

Tomorrow I'm starting the "One Hundred Push Ups" workout plan. I'm terrible at push ups, and I need to build up my arms and shoulders....so why not work on both at the same time?! I'll be spending more time on the road and less time in the gym, so this will be a great way to build up my arms. Tomorrow I'm also going to rock out in a yoga class! My legs and butt will REALLY appreciate it! I'm excited!

February is the month for change and butt kicking training, and I think I've started the month of great! =)

Banished to the Indoors...Again...

Mother Nature hates me. Sunday's amazing run outside was a HUGE tease. I'm pretty sure Greenwood hasn't seen anything above freezing since then. *sighs*

Monday was a rest day, followed by....a rest day. I'm lame, I know. I did some stretching at home, but nothing toooo intense. Wednesday was my "attempt" as getting back into things. I did yoga, which was fantastic! I felt like a new woman! Then in the evening...I lifted weights. I hadn't really lifted in awhile, but things went really well. I worked on my arms and back. Then I hopped on the erg. That was gross. I planned on doing 5x500m with the fan on four. Well, I made it two before I called it quits. My body got fatigued really quick. So...I figured I'd fight it off with a run. HA! I died about a half mile in...so sad. I called it quits after that.

Today, Friday, thank goodness. I got off work early, so I got to workout! WOOT! I headed to the gym determined to blow yesterday's crap out of the water. I did. I hopped on the bike for a seven minute warm up, and that was only the beginning. The warm up felt great. I hopped off, did a little bit of stretching, and then was back on for 60 minutes of "random hills." I was happily in front of a TV that was showing ESPN, so I was a happy camper. The minutes ticked by slowly when the resistance was low and my legs were flying. I felt a little out of control, which I don't like, and I think that's why the minutes when by so slowly. As soon as the resistance kicked in just a little bit the minutes flew. My legs were working, I was squinting to read the latest baseball news, and I was sweating. It was glorious! The "hills" were intense! My quads were tight and burning, but I pushed through. If I'm going to survive Mt Adams in Cincinnati there can be no excuses. I will dominate that hill when I get to it.

All in all...Sunday and today rocked my world. The other days were just days. Tomorrow will be even better. I know it! Happy Friday night everyone! =)

I Really Love Long Runs

Okay, between my job searching, working a crappy job and training I'm not updating as often as I originally planned. Sorry! I promise not to let it go over a week though!

So, BIG NEWS! I've registered for my marathon!!! I will be running the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, on May 2. I'm PUMPED! I've got a lot of friends in Ohio and it's close to home, so I'm excited to have a support group cheering me on. My best friend will be making her way out from DC to celebrate her birthday and my first marathon. She rocks!

Training is going pretty well. I'm still doing more cross training than most training schedules recommend. I biked 15 miles last Tuesday, and felt fantastic. My leg muscles have been impressing me since they seem to never get sore (knock on wood). I erged 7k+ Friday, and that was a big lung test. Since you work you're whole body, chest muscles included, it's a great challenge as an asthmatic. The endurance of rocking out a 7k is great for your arms, shoulders, back and legs. There was a tad of soreness after that workout because I didn't stretch very well. Saturday I did a little bit of lifting to help beef up my arms. I need strong arms to help me get through the 26.2 mile adventure I have ahead of me.

Sunday Run Day! Sunday was the 80 minute run. I was a little put off by it Saturday since the forecast was telling me there would be tons of rain and wind. Pfft. See if I ever listen to the weather guys again. It was almost 50, sort of windy on the open roads, and I got sprinkled on for maybe 6 minutes of the run. It was FANTASTIC! I knocked out 7.5 miles in 72.5 minutes, and jogged out the last 8 minutes as a cool down. I was so impressed with my killer run and reaching my house 8 minutes earlier than expected that I was okay using those minutes as a cool down. My right ankle, aka the healthy one, started getting angry 25 minutes in. That was a bummer...but I was running in an older neighborhood with concrete streets. Once I got back on to asphalt my ankle was much less angry with me. My lungs held up great on the first outside run of the year. The only thing that really hurt was my IT bands in the last five minutes. They were SO tight. My 20 minutes of stretching helped with that, thank goodness!

After the awesome run yesterday I'm really looking forward to the 100 minute run next weekend! After next weekend It'll be time to rock the two hour runs. WOOT! I'm excited!

Well, I'm off to rest up for yoga! Good night running people!

The Cause I'm Supporting

I realized that I haven't told you the most important part of my training! I'm raising money for To Write Love On Her Arms. This cause means the world to me because it hits very close to home. I've had friends struggle with self-abuse, and I helped them see that "rescue is possible." I didn't want to follow a trend and join Team in Training and raise money for such a huge cause that I'm not personally affected by. I'm not saying that it's not a good cause by any means because it is. I just want to help something that means so much to me. Help me to help them! Please.

"Rescue is possible."

Long Runs and Chocolate Milk

Sunday was my first long run of 2010...and my first run over three miles since I left Arizona in June. I raved about it all day at work Saturday, so mentally I was totally ready. Was I physically ready? What do you think?

I'm here to tell you....I was! I set my clock for an hour and off I went. And by off I mean running on my sweet treadmill friend. I didn't want to push my little lungs too hard in the cold just yet. I was watching some extreme skiing where guys get dropped out of helicopters and then somehow made it down the most ridiculous peaks in the world; (pfft) and my friends think I'm crazy for training for a marathon! Anyway, I set my pace at a 10:56/mile just as a base because I had no clue how ready I was for a run this long. After 20 minutes my breathing was still steady and relaxed and my legs were feeling great, so I kept going at my pace. After 35 minutes I started bumping up my rate step-by-step every five minutes to push myself. 40 minutes down...45....50....55...the last 5 minutes! My body felt so much better than I had expected! A little tightness kicked in after 45 minutes, but nothing I couldn't push through. My lungs on the other hand were pissed. I was breathing deep and slow, but it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. That's what happens with little lungs and a little bit of congestion. I finished out the run, walked my two minute cool down and then checked the milage. I knocked out six miles! I impressed myself for than I can even explain! I did a little bit of stretching before I got home. Don't worry, once I got home I devoted a solid 30 minutes for stretching out my legs while I enjoyed my chocolate milk!

Chocolate milk!!! I know, it may sound weird, but that's what my rowing coach recommended my senior year. If you've never rowed before I'll be the one to tell you that it makes every single part of your body hurt. Fingers, toes, back, legs and anything else you can think of...ouch. We were instructed to drink a minimum of 100oz of water a day, but who doesn't know how important staying hydrated is? Once our winter training, erg season, kicked off we not only hated practice but our bodies hated us. That's when we got the secret. Chocolate milk and yogurt within 30-minutes of a hard workout. I know, call me crazy, but it works. Something about the sugars and proteins help your muscles start to heal so they don't feel so bad later, and the chocolate makes you feel better right away. It's amazing how great it works. I drink chocolate milk after most of my runs these days. Combined with all of the stretching I'm rarely sore. My big test will be after I do sprints Thursday morning...I'll let you know Friday if chocolate milk and stretching help prevent soreness!

Today was a rehydrated and stretch out day. My back sure did need it. I don't know what I did, but I had to bust out the Extra Strength Rapid Release Tylonol this morning because my lower back hurt so bad standing was a challenge. Hopefully after yoga and biking tomorrow morning my back will love me again. Wish me luck!

Sugar? Who needs sugar?!

Okay, I owe you a few days worth of updates. Sorry!!! My sister's spontaneous visit threw me off.

Okay, my killer work out on Wednesday was "Glycogen Depletion."

Here's a brief note on where the workout came from. After Christmas Break my freshman year Anne Feight, our novice rowing coach, told us to get ready for glycogen depletion. We had NO clue what that meant. We got to practice and divided into "runners" and "not runners." The running group started with running three and a half miles through Oakwood and the rowers started rowing an unknown distance to us runners. We came back to to erg room tired from killing the hills only to hear "drink water and get on an erg, set it for 10,000 meters." Trust me, after that work out you will have zero energy left, and barely anything left in your body. So, why put my body through something like that again?! I want to get healthy again. After doing a workout like that I stop craving sodas and Reeses Cups (my true weakness).

I didn't kill myself quite to that extent. I ran three and a half miles and erged 4,000 meters (I had to protect my hip flexors). I did the erging first, and barely had the energy to walk up the stairs to the treadmill. However, after about four minutes of running I was at peace. I ran hard and loved every second. Don't get my wrong...it wasn't easy, and I almost fell down the stairs when I was done. I love the feeling on complete exhaustion. I have never appreciated stretching and relaxing more! I stretched for 20 minutes, and then sat in the hot tub for 15 minutes and did more stretching. When I got home I had a chocolate milk and a yogurt to help kick off the recovery.

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Today I hopped on the bike for a light workout. I did a seven minute warm up, stretched then did a 25 minute cardio workout. I didn't want to work my legs too hard because tomorrow is a "long run" day. I will be hitting the roads/treadmill, weather depending, for an and hour and 20 minutes tomorrow. I'm stoked! My iPod is charged up, and I've got cloths ready for either situation.

How's your training going?

Two Workouts? Anyone?

Yesterday was a nice easy no impact day. I went to the gym and swam 15 laps. I know...not too impressive, right? Well, the only reason I swim is to build up my lungs. I have athletic asthma AND really small lungs (my doctor said 80 year old cancer patients probably have more lung capacity that I do). The pressure from the water and the thick air in the room makes it hard for me to breathe, so I try to swim every so often to beef up my lungs. My ankles and knees really benefit from a no impact workout too.

Today was my first "two-a-day." This morning I went to yoga. Today we did six or seven Sun Salutations to get warmed up; and I can't even explain how much my legs, back and neck benefited from that. Then we did a series of twists to loosen up our back and squeeze the toxins out of our internal organs. It was fantastic. By far one of the most relaxing Tuesday yoga classes I've even been to.

This afternoon my killer migraine of death returned, so I decided to try working out. I sucked it up, grabbed my iPod and water...then off to LA Fitness I went. It was PACKED! I hopped on the last open bike for a warm up and watched as the treadmills were taken one by one. There were two left when I was done warming up. I chose one between two running people instead on one between two walking people. The stupid thing wouldn't let me do any workout besides "QuickStart." So, after a few frustrating minutes I gave in and just pressed the button. I ran my 2.5 miles in 25 minutes and wished I didn't have to be home for dinner. I ran faster today than I have been lately and could've kept going. I guess that's more motivation to find my dream job and get back out of Mom and Dad's, right?

Tomorrow if everything goes as expected I will do a huge glycogen depletion workout. I'll fill you in on the awesomeness tomorrow!

Friends, At Last!

Sorry for the delay in posting!

I gave the treadmill another chance Friday, and guess what! We're friends! There's still a lot of ice and snow around here, so I'll be running on a treadmill for at least another week.

Friday I did a light erging warm up just to get the blood flowing. I didn't stretch as much as I probably should've (sad face), so when I was building my friendship with the treadmill I ended up having to walk some. I did the "5k Loop" workout, and ran probably 4k of it. I felt really good and luckily didn't have any trouble breathing. As an asthmatic when I'm getting back into shape my lungs are always a concern. I was good and drank some chocolate milk and did some serious stretching when I got home.

Yesterday I luckily wasn't sore, at all. A friend of mine came in for a short visit on her way back to Michigan, and after she left I was so full of energy and excitement I HAD to workout. I got to the gym and it was dead. No big deal, I knew I'd have no problem getting a treadmill in front of a TV that was showing ESPN or the Bengals v Jets game. I did a nice relaxing 20 minute stretching session. I could honestly feel my shoulder and neck tension melting out of my body, I loved it. Then I found my trusty treadmill in front of a TV showing ESPN, and set the clock for 35 minutes. The "World Strongest Man Competition" was on, and it was the most motivating event to watch, ever! I kept bumping up the speed, and the time just ticked away. I was in the zone, and nothing else in the world mattered. My body felt great, my lungs were doing their job and at a nice steady rate, and my head was clear. Bliss. After my 35 minutes of amazingness ended I decided I wasn't ready to go home yet. So, I hopped on the bike for a nice 15 minute cool down. I fluctuated the speed every minute or so so my legs wouldn't go into shock. After I finished the 15 minute cool down I was off to stretch, again. Wow. Talk about amazing. I did every leg stretch I know, and I think I might have even grown a little bit because I stretched out my back so well.

Never under estimate the power of stretching. If you have lower back pain, maybe your hamstrings/calves are tight. Make sure you stretch out all the different muscle groups because the are all connected. I'm a big fan of yoga because of the huge focus on breathing. With tiny lungs and asthma breathing is a big deal for me.

Today was a lovely rest day. Tomorrow I'll be hitting the pool to really put my little lungs to the test. Wish me luck!

First Workout of 2010

Well, before I get into how much I loved my workout you have to understand one thing about me. My friends don't only think I'm crazy because I love running so much...they think I'm crazy because no matter how cold it is I won't run in pants. I will run in running tights...rarely. I prefer the shorts, soccer socks, Under Armour, gloves and ear band style. I do have a cut off temperature though...wind chills in the single digits. I like to feel my cheeks when I get home, and I'm a big fan of my lungs. So, sadly, I was banished to the gym today.

Being banished to the gym was excellent though. I love working out when there are tons of people at the gym, and since New Years just passed EVERYONE was at the gym today. My competitive genes got fired up, I ran into people from high school, and had a great sweat. Since I was a rower in college I tend to erg (rowing machine) a lot because I know how huge of a workout it is. I did a mini pyramid workout to get my legs and lungs worked out. The pyramid was 1 min on-one min off; two min on-two min off; three min on-three min off; four min on-four min off; and back down again. I will be feeling that work out until Friday I'm pretty sure. I triiiied to run on the treadmill, but I'm so scared of falling off I run into the stupid bar. I'll give it another try or two before I cut it out of my life completely. Hopefully the temperature comes back up so I can just run outside.

For anyone who doesn't normally run or is training for a race, cross training is very important. I use erging/rowing, biking and yoga as my cross training exercises. Swimming is very beneficial as well, so I'm going to blend it into my routine this year. Cross training helps prevent injury and workout out other muscles that running doesn't. Another bonus is that it breaks up the monotony of doing the same thing everyday.